Sport stacking first received national attention as a sport during an episode of “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson. As Bob Fox watched the episode, he was inspired to get into the game and to launch his company, Speed Stacks Inc. Since the show aired in the 1980s, sport stacking has become one of the 17 officially sanctioned events in the National Junior Olympics, and a common unit among elementary and middle school physical education classes. Speed Stacks, which founded the World Sport Stacking Association (WSSA) in 2001, has a client base that includes more than 25,000 schools nationwide, and the firm is now offering its products to retailers.
Sport stacking cups have a number of different attributes that set them apart from everyday drinkware, including a ribbed shoulder so the cups don’t stick together, a reinforced lip, a smooth interior for minimal friction, air holes to allow for faster stacking, and a textured exterior for optimal grip and control. Speed Stacks cups are made of “memory” material so they bounce back into a perfect round shape, even after being repeatedly squeezed. “With all of its cups adhering to national sport guidelines, Speed Stacks is the official equipment supplier of the WSSA, which is the governing body of the sport,” says Don Teel, general manager.
There are two main options for retail buyers interested in carrying sport stacking products, which include the Stack Pack and the competition cups. The Stack Pack is available in blue, red, green and black, and includes 12 cups, a mat, a timer and an instructional DVD. “Because our sport is about order, sequence and timing, having the right surface to stack on and a timer is very important,” explains Teel. “The competition cups add-on is geared towards customers who already have the Stack Pack, but who want additional colors.” The firm requires a one case minimum for wholesale orders. Stack Packs come in cases of five units priced at $17.50 apiece, which retail for $34.99. “We have specifically designed our carton size to fall under the minimums of dimension and weight for UPS,” says Teel, “so freight is about half of what it would normally be for a wholesale order of this size.” Standard shipping costs are calculated as 15 percent of the order total, unless a retailer purchases $500 worth of product to earn free freight.
For 2013, Speed Stacks has other retail ideas in the works, including plans to introduce a new point of purchase display at Toy Fair, February 10-13 at the Javits Convention Center in New York. “Last year was our first year at Toy Fair, and this year we’re interested to see what retailers think of the displays,” Teel remarks. Speed Stacks will be at booth 5251 at Toy Fair 2013.
For more information:
Speed Stacks, Inc.
11 Inverness Way South
Englewood, CO 80112
Tel.: 877-468-2877
Email: info@speedstacks.com
Website: www.speedstacks.com